


Opus

by wynnebat



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Background Stiles Stilinski/Peter Hale, Drabble Sequence, F/F, Future Fic, Malia-centric, Mostly Gen, Past Stiles Stilinski/Malia Tate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-29
Updated: 2016-01-29
Packaged: 2018-05-17 02:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5849701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wynnebat/pseuds/wynnebat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Malia leaves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Opus

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt "music" over on [Femslash Ficlets](http://femslashficlets.dreamwidth.org/).

_beat_

Senior year comes around, and Malia's learned to be human. She knows the act, knows how to follow along like she knows who the Beatles are and duck into a corner to google it the second she can. That, or ask Stiles, because he's not her everything anymore, but he's something. There's an understanding between them, made in battle and grief and tired sighs.

She doesn't fill out a single college application. Stiles keeps Lydia from a fit of horror, but it's a near thing. Social constructs are important to Lydia.

Malia's learned to pretend, but this isn't her life.

 

 

_choir_

Malia understands the concept of pack. It's in her very bones to watch over the group as it watches over her, but human packs are different than animal ones. There's conversation and awkwardness and so many feelings, always crowding around.

Derek is pack; Derek looks at her strangely and says she looks a lot like Talia.

Peter is pack; Peter hates Talia for taking her away, but he's not good at all at trying to be a dad to her. She's not sure she wants one anyway.

Stiles is pack; Stiles will be fine on his own, as will she.

 

 

_drum_

She graduates school, mostly to make sure she can, and asks them to send the certificate to her father's address. She won't be at the ceremony.

On the eve of her departure, Peter hands her a credit card with a limit higher than she thinks she'd ever need and a cell phone he says she doesn't have to use. Malia turns off the GPS first thing.

Then she turns it back on. Strangely, she doesn't mind.

 _Let Stiles know, too,_ she tells him. If he's going to be checking up on her, it's the least he can do. _And Derek._

 

 

_hymn_

The woods are beautiful. There's no other way to describe them as she finally sees them through her coyote eyes. She hasn't let herself enjoy nature outside of full moons, in fear of temptation getting the best of her. She didn't want to leave until she was sure.

Now, she's positive.

Malia runs.

She hunts and she fishes and she crosses the arbitrary map lines she'd learned about in school, making her way north. Mexico was enough of the south.

Sometimes, she's a human. It's not her favorite thing, but there are just so many things opposable thumbs can do.

 

 

_key_

She likes thinking, too, Malia finds. It's hard to do in her coyote form.

After a year, she switches back nearly permanently.

Neither option is perfect. She can't go back to being a coyote now that she's learned to think and feel, but she doesn't feel right in her human skin. Eventually, she finds a balance. The balance is a small house on the edge of a town, air so clean she can delight in it in both forms, and companionship from her closest neighbor, turning into something like love.

Daphne is completely, utterly human, but it's alright. It's good.

 

 

_melody_

The world goes on without her. Stiles moves on. Peter gets married. Those things aren't unrelated. Derek finds happiness with someone who hasn't tried to kill him. They visit, sometimes impromptu, whenever Peter thinks she hasn't texted in too long.

Daphne tells her they're all terribly strange, even for werewolves. She's a rational sort, a scientist, and sometimes Malia thinks she's strange, too. But she's the kind of strange Malia likes.

Cora comes by with seductive tales of rain forests and exotic foods, but Malia's outlasted her wanderlust, and it doesn't call anymore.

She never goes back to Beacon Hills.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Complete; no sequel planned.


End file.
